A Metairie man arrested in November under suspicion of dealing synthetic marijuana was booked Saturday on drug charges after tests revealed the seized substances contained banned chemicals. Trini Lozano, 33, was booked with drug possession with the intent to distribute and possession of marijuana, according to a Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office arrest report.

Trini Lozano, 31, of Metairie, was booked Saturday with possesion of synthetic marijuana with the intent to distribute. NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune archive

Lozano was first taken into custody in November after agents from the state Department of Probation and Parole and the Sheriff's Office performed a compliance check at his home, 200 Radiance Ave., Metairie, the arrest report said. Lozano has convictions in Jefferson Parish's 24th Judicial District Court for possession of oxycodone, possession of alprazolam, auto theft and false personation of a peace officer, court records said.

A state parole officer contacted the Sheriff's Office after receiving a tip from a confidential informant that Lozano was selling synthetic marijuana, the report said.

Just minutes before officials were to perform the check on Nov. 20, an unidentified man arrived at the apartment, knocked on the door, entered and then left counting what appeared to be synthetic marijuana. When stopped and questioned, the man admitted he bought the drugs from Lozano, the report said.

Sheriff's Office and parole officials performed the check on the apartment and found 44 grams of synthetic marijuana. Lozano was arrested that day and booked with two counts of probation violation. But investigators would have to test the substances to see if they contained any of the chemicals that are banned in Louisiana.

Synthetic marijuana is manufactured when distributors spray harmless, dried plant leaves with a mixture of acetone and lab-created chemicals usually produced overseas. States, including Louisiana, have moved to ban synthetic marijuana. But criminal chemists stay a step ahead of authorities by changing the molecular makeup of the raw chemical whenever new laws are passed banning a particular formula.

In Lozano's case, testing by the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office Crime Lab revealed the substances he is accused of selling contained UR-144 and related compounds, which are illegal in the state, according to the Sheriff's Office.

Lozano was still being held at the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center in Gretna Monday. Bond on the drug-related charges was set at $10,500. But he was being held without bond for parole violation.